Poker game method

ABSTRACT

A method is set forth for playing a Poker game where each player makes a wager and a dealer is dealt N cards and each player is dealt N−1 cards, where N is greater than or equal to 4. The wager placed may be split into a first wager and a second wager. Each player has the option to discard and receive replacements for his best hand of N−1 cards. Replacement cards may be dealt as community cards, with a number of sets of cards being dealt, and the player having the choice of the best set of cards to use. The dealer reveals his hand and assembles the highest ranking hand of N−1 cards which are compared to the player&#39;s hand to determine the outcome of wagers placed according to a paytable associated with each wager. Where the wager has been split, the first wager is paid at even money or better, and the second wager is paid at even money or less. If the dealer&#39;s hand does not have at least a predetermined ranking, each player is paid based upon each of their wagers at odds based upon the player&#39;s hand. The player may make an optional dealer hand wager that the dealer hand will be of a rank below a predetermined ranking. The player may also make a player hand side wager that the player&#39;s hand will be one of a predetermined schedule of winning hands.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/783,670, filed Feb. 20, 2004 by applicant herein, entitled“Poker Game Method” which, in turn, claimed the priority of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/449,256 filed Feb. 21, 2003,entitled “4Fun Poker (Four Card Draw Poker)” and U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 60/449,310 filed Feb. 21, 2003, entitled “Fun 3Poker (Three Card Poker).”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to card games. More specifically, thepresent invention is a method for conducting a card game against adealer in which at least one player places a wager and forms a finalhand, the dealer forms a final hand, each player receiving a reward forhaving a final hand outranking the dealer hand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There has been a proliferation of new poker derivatives since the adventof Caribbean Stud Poker, described in Suttle et al., U.S. Pat. No.4,836,553 issued Jun. 6, 1989. In this game, the player makes a firstante wager and a hand of five cards is dealt to the dealer and to eachof the players. If the player, after looking at his hand, wants to play,the player places a second bet. If the player wishes to fold, heforfeits his ante wager. The dealer and player hands are then revealed.If the dealer's hand does not have a qualifying holding, e.g. Ace-Kingor higher, the player is paid on the ante wager and the second wager isreturned to the player. If the dealer's hand is at least of thequalifying holding, the player hand and dealer hands are resolved bycomparing the rankings. If the dealer hand outranks the player hand, theplayer loses both bets. If the player hand outranks the dealer hand, heis paid a first amount based upon the ante wager and a second amountbased upon the second bet and the ranking of the player hand.

Folding is an option that can be exercised in Caribbean Stud Poker andThree Card Poker (disclosed in Webb, U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,774). When theplayer thinks he has a poor hand, he can fold and forfeit the bet. ACaribbean Stud Poker player will fold 46.97% of the time, almost everyother hand. A Three Card Poker player will fold 32.58% of the time,almost one in three hands. Although it is an option that gives theplayer a chance to cut his loss, it takes all the fun away from thegame.

When a player folds, not only will he lose his bet but he also must waituntil all other players complete their hands and the dealer resolvestheir bets. While in a lousy mood and bored, the player sits therehoping the next round will begin soon so that he can win it back.

Also, the fact that the games require risking additional bets mayintimidate some conservative players who do not want to put more moneyon the table. In Three Card Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker, the playersmust put up one or two additional bets to stay in the game. Theseplayers may lose more often than they should because they often deviatefrom the optimal strategy.

Another problem with Three Card Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker is thedealer hand qualifier. A dealer hand qualifier is built into a game togive the house an edge over the player. In Caribbean Stud Poker thedealer must qualify with an Ace-King, or the dealer cannot open his handto compete against the player. When the dealer fails to qualify, theplayer automatically wins the ante and the raise bet pushes. The houseedge is obvious. When the dealer gets a poor hand that can be beat mostof the time, the dealer won't compete against the player and the playerwill be paid less. In Three Card Poker the dealer must qualify with aQueen-high or the dealer cannot play against the player. When the dealerfails to qualify, the ante is paid but the “play” bet pushes. Itevidently looks unfair if you don't pay or “short pay” the player whenthey beat you since you take all their money when you beat them. Neithergame pays the raise bet when the dealer disqualifies. It spoils theexcitement if you don't pay them when they have increased their bet on agood hand that can beat you.

Four Card Poker is a new table game played in some casinos inMississippi. All players must place an ante wager at the start of eachhand. The players are dealt five cards face down and the dealer gets sixcards face down. Each player and the dealer will use the best four cardsin their hand to make a four-card hand. If the player dislikes his hand,he can fold and forfeit the ante. Otherwise, he must make the play betin order to stay in the game. Due to the huge advantage the six-carddealer hand has over the five-card player hand, the player has to fold47.4% of the time, almost every other hand. Also, the player will bestuck with a poor hand since they cannot replace any card to improve it.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,162 issued Jan. 28, 1997 to Franklin discloses acard game that allows the player to replace one card twice insuccession. Each player places a first bet. A dealer deals himself fourcards, only the last of which is dealt face-up; the dealer also dealseach player three cards. Each player may then elect to stay or trade oneof his three cards. Each player may then elect to stay or trade a cardagain. If the player elects to trade a card, he must place a second bet.Each player hand is then compared to the best three-card hand of thedealer, with the party having the highest hand winning the bet.

There are some drawbacks with this card game. First, trading a cardtwice not only slows the game down very much but also makes the playingstrategy too complex. A slow game will reduce the casino's profitbecause the time to cycle each hand of play is slowed reducing theamount of money per unit time put at risk in the game. A slow game alsoannoys the players especially when they are dealt a premium hand andhave no patience to wait for other players to complete trading theircards. Second, when trading a card the first time, the player mustconsider how to “pave the way” for the second trade so that he has abetter chance of improving his hand. Consequently, the playing strategybecomes unobvious and difficult to memorize. Third, the fact that thesecond trade requires risking an additional bet may intimidate someconservative players who do not want to put more money on the table.These players may lose more often than they should because they oftendeviate from the optimal strategy. Fourth is that novice players maybecome intimidated by the game and either slow the play or choose not toplay at all.

There is an additional drawback with games in which the dealer gets morecards than the player, even where the player is then given a cardreplacement option. The dealer advantage in such cases is considerableand, even where the player may recoup some of the edge by appropriatepaytables, player interest is lost when the dealer wins a largepredominance of the hands. A method is needed which allows the player towin a reasonable percentage of the hands, and which still maintains ahouse advantage which justifies the game to a casino.

There is a need for a game which provides entertainment instead ofboredom and frustration. The suspense and excitement aroused during playshould never be stripped off of any gambling game. One should try tokeep the player in the game to the end. The player should always have ahope that they have a chance to win.

In addition, unlike Blackjack where there is a common “enemy” (thedealer), when a dealer qualifier is required, some players may be hopingthe dealer has a hand good enough to qualify, while others want thedealer to have a bad hand, so they can win with their own poor hand.Thus, the camaraderie present in many other games is often missing.

It is an object of the present invention to improve upon the above cardgames. The game of the present invention does not allow for a secondtrade nor does it require any additional bet just to stay in the game.In addition, it may enhance player appeal by paying the playerautomatically when the dealer has a preset poor hand. It may alsoenhance player appeal by allowing the player: (1) to bet that the dealerwill receive a poor hand and (2) to increase their bet against a poordealer up card. Furthermore, in one embodiment, it will enhance playerappeal by letting the player's wager push if the player hand worsenswith the replacement cards after trade. Finally, it may enhance playerappeal by allowing the player to win a larger percentage of the handsplayed, using wager bifurcation and specialized paytables to create theproper house edge.

Unlike Three Card Poker where the player's additional raise bet cannotwin if the dealer hand is less than queen-high, in the card game of thepresent invention the player's bet is always in action. Furthermore, ifthe dealer hand is worse than a predetermined minimum, e.g., 10-high,the dealer automatically loses and all players are paid, potentially atodds greater than 1-to-1. So, the invention can turn a disappointmentinto a pleasant surprise when both the player hand and the dealer handare less than 10-high.

Unlike Three Card Poker or Caribbean Stud where the player has no choicebut to fold a poor hand, the player of the invention can draw a card toimprove his hand.

Unlike any other side bets that do not allow the player to increase hisbet once the bet is made, the player not only can double his side betbut they can also do it after seeing a weak dealer up card. This is kindof like doubling down in blackjack, but is more exciting andstraightforward because the doubling is on a poor dealer hand withoutthe player hand having to beat the dealer hand to get paid.

Unlike other games in which the dealer wins the vast majority of thehands, under the present invention, the player replacement methodologyis such that the player has a substantial probability of winning anygiven hand. In fact, in some optional embodiments, the player'sprobability of winning a hand may actually exceed that of the house.

Finally, unlike 5-card games, a game which only involved three cards,particularly where there is a replacement, cannot offer a large jackpot,as the universe of potential hands is not sufficiently large. (Whilethere are nearly 2.6 million five-card hands, there are just over 22thousand three-card hands.) A method by which additional cards areimplicated, thereby justifying a large jackpot, would help createexcitement and interest in the game.

The card game of the invention not only is rid of the bad design foundin many poker games today, but also adds more fun.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is, therefore, set forth according to the present invention a cardgame that combines a poker derivative game with at least one andoptionally two proposition games. Each player places at least a Pokerwager to compete against a house dealer. N cards are dealt to a dealerposition, one of which is dealt face up. In an optional embodiment, N isat least 4 and, more specifically, may be 4 or 5. Each player alsoreceives a hand face down of N−1 cards. Each player examines his or herinitial player hand and may then elect to stand on the initial hand ofcards making the initial player hand the final player hand or the playermay discard and receive replacements for one or more of his cards todefine the final player hand of N−1 cards. Optionally, discarding andreceiving replacements is done without having to either make anadditional bet or fold.

Optionally, the replacement method involves the dealing of a pluralityof community cards, the plurality consisting of a plurality of sets ofreplacement cards, each set of replacement cards containing a quantityof cards equal to the number of cards discarded, with each player whohas discarded being allowed to utilize one such set of the communitycards. The player would select such set of community cards as maximizethe ranking of the generated final hand. The dealer exposes his hand andassembles the highest ranking hand of N−1 cards. Each final player handis then revealed and compared to the final dealer hand. The Poker wageris then resolved according to the following rules:

If the final player hand outranks the final dealer hand, an award isissued to the player based upon the Poker wager; otherwise, if the finalplayer hand has a ranking above a prespecified rank and the final dealerhand outranks the final player hand, the player loses the Poker wager.In an optional embodiment, if the final player hand has a ranking abovea prespecified rank and the final dealer hand equals the final playerhand, the player retains the Poker wager. In a further optionalembodiment, if the final player hand has a ranking below a prespecifiedrank, the player's Poker wager either pushes or is issued an award.

In another optional embodiment, the player's Poker wager is allocatedbetween a first poker wager and a second poker wager. A first pokerwager paytable is defined with at least one award greater than, or equalto, even money and a second poker wager paytable is defined with atleast one award less than, or equal to, even money. If the final playerhand has a predetermined ranking, and the final player hand outranks thefinal dealer hand, the player is awarded on the first poker wager atgreater than, or equal to, even money, and on the second poker wager ateven money. Conversely, if the final player hand does not have apredetermined ranking, and the final player hand outranks the finaldealer hand, the player is awarded on the first poker wager at greaterthan, or equal to, even money, and on the second poker wager at lessthan even money. In an optional embodiment, if the dealer hand outranksthe player hand, the player loses both the first poker wager and thesecond poker wager.

Optionally, the player may also be offered one or both of a dealer handside wager and player hand side wager. If the player makes the dealerhand wager and the dealer's hand has a ranking below a predeterminedranking, the player is issued an award. In an optional embodiment, theplayer may increase a dealer hand wager after an exposed card in thedealer's hand is dealt, but before the dealer's hand is completelyrevealed. Optionally, the award for the dealer hand wager is based upona schedule of awards based upon the composition of the final dealerhand.

The player may also make a player hand wager that the player hand willhave one of a predetermined schedule of card combinations, which wagerwill optionally be paid according to the player's hand as determined bythe player's hand wager in conjunction with the size of the player'swager. The player hand wager may be based upon the initial or the finalplayer hand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an optional embodiment of the playing andwagering areas for the invention claimed.

DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred toby like numerals throughout. The method of the present invention can beplayed in a live format, e.g., at a live gaming table with one or moreplayers and a dealer or can be played in an electronic form using adigital table or a single machine, as would be known in the art.

In the optional embodiment illustrated, the method uses a standard deckof fifty-two playing cards, or electronic indicia thereof. In alternateembodiments, variations on the deck or electronic indicia may be used,such as a Spanish deck or other such subset, or a deck augmented withjokers. In additional alternate embodiments, the deck may includeduplication of individual cards or indicia.

Play is performed upon a playing layout 100 such as that shown inFIG. 1. In the optional embodiment illustrated, the playing layout 100includes a dealer area 110, a player area 160, and a community card area190. To begin play each participating player places a Poker wager at aPoker wager position 175 to compete against the dealer. When all playershave placed the Poker wager, N cards are dealt to the dealer at dealercard positions 121-124 and N−1 cards are dealt to each player at playercard positions 181-183. Optionally, N≧4. More specifically, N may equal4 in one optional embodiment and N may equal 5 in another optionalembodiment. A portion of the cards of the dealer hand 121-124 are dealtface down 121-123, with at least one card 124 being turned over andrevealed to the players. The player's initial cards 181-183 areoptionally dealt face down.

In the optional embodiment illustrated, the Poker wager 175 may beallocated between a first poker wager 176 and a second poker wager 177,each such first poker wager 176 and second poker wager 177 potentiallyto be paid according to a separate paytable. In one optional embodiment,the second poker wager 177 must be at least as great as the first pokerwager 176. In an alternate optional embodiment, the second poker wager177 must be at least a prespecified m times the first poker wager 176,m≧1. For example, in one optional embodiment, the second poker wagerequals the first poker wager; in another optional embodiment, the secondpoker wager is at least twice the first poker wager. In the optionalembodiment illustrated, where the final player hand is of higher rankthan the final dealer hand, the first poker wager 176 will be paid atodds greater than or equal to even money, while the second poker wager177 may be paid at odds less than or equal to even money. Morespecifically, in one optional embodiment, if the final player hand isabove a predefined minimum rank, and outranks the final dealer hand, theplayer is rewarded at least at even money on the first poker wager, andat least at even money on the second poker wager. In such an optionalembodiment, if the final player hand is below a predefined minimum rank,and outranks the final dealer hand, the player is rewarded at least ateven money on the first poker wager, and at most at even money on thesecond poker wager. This optional embodiment is described in more detailbelow.

After looking at the initial cards, the player has the option to (1)stand on the cards of the initial hand whereupon the initial handbecomes the player's final hand or (2) discard at least one card andreceive replacements dealt from the remaining deck of cards. Optionally,a quantity of replacements is equal to the quantity of discards. Theplayer's hand, including any replacements, becomes the player's finalhand. To discard and receive replacements, the player need not make anyadditional wager.

In the optional embodiment illustrated, the replacement cards are dealtas community cards. Optionally, the final player hand is formed from thecards retained from the initial player hand, along with the communitycard or cards forming the highest ranking hand possible. Alternatively,the player may be required to select the community card or cards used.In a further optional embodiment, a plurality of sets of community cardsare dealt and the player is required to select a set of community cardsand select the community card from the selected set, to form a finalplayer hand. For example, in an optional embodiment, where k cards areto be replaced, where k≧1, replacement cards are dealt as a plurality ofsets of cards, each set containing a quantity of k cards. The playerthen selects the subset of such cards with the strategy of selecting aset that, when combined with the retained cards gives the poker hand ofhighest rank, such sequence of rankings being prespecified.

In an optional embodiment, folding of a poor hand is not an option forthe player. Further, the player need not increase the Poker wager tocontinue play of the hand. In the optional embodiment illustrated, theplayer may discard and replace zero or one card of the initial hand. Inalternate optional embodiments, greater or fewer card replacements maybe permitted, up to the initial hand in its entirety.

In another optional embodiment, if the rank of the final player hand isbelow a prespecified rank then the player may be guaranteed to win orpush, but not lose, the Poker wagers.

In another optional embodiment, the rank of the final player hand afterreplacement relative to the initial player hand may be used in resolvingPoker wagers. For example, in one optional embodiment, if the playerreplaces one or more cards, and the rank of the final player hand islower than the rank of the initial player hand, i.e. the player handworsened, the player may be guaranteed to win or push, but not lose. Inanother optional embodiment, if the player replaces one or more cards,and the rank of the final player hand is lower than the rank of theinitial player hand, the player may be guaranteed to win or push, butnot lose, only where the rank of the final player hand is below acertain predetermined rank.

Once the player has completed the generation of the final player hand,the dealer then reveals the previously undisclosed cards of the dealer'shand. From the set of N dealer cards the dealer identifies the N−1 cardswhich form the best hand N−1 card poker hand. Where N=4, implicating useof three-card poker hands for both the dealer and the player, theranking of the three card hands could be, from highest to lowest:

-   -   Straight Flush    -   3 of a Kind    -   Straight (AKQ is the highest straight and A23 is the lowest)    -   Flush    -   One Pair    -   High Card

Where N=5, implicating use of four-card poker hands for both the dealerand the player, the ranking of hands from highest to lowest could be:

-   -   Four of a Kind    -   Straight Flush    -   Three of a Kind    -   Flush    -   Straight (where A-K-Q-J is the highest straight and A-2-3-4 is        the lowest straight)    -   Two Pair    -   One Pair    -   High Card

Resolution of the Poker Wager

After the dealer has designated the final dealer hand of N−1 cards, theplayer's Poker wager is resolved according to the following rules:

In one optional embodiment, the player automatically wins if the finaldealer hand is below a predefined minimum rank. For example, in oneoptional embodiment, if the final dealer hand has a rank lower thanten-high, the player automatically wins. While the award for such a wincould vary, in one optional embodiment, the player receives is paid atleast 1:1 (or even money).

The player wins if the final player hand is of higher rank than thefinal dealer hand. In the optional embodiment illustrated, the Pokerwager is allocated between a first poker wager and a second poker wager.Each of the first poker wager and second poker wager is rewardedaccording to a prespecified paytable, where the first poker wager andthe second poker wager may be determined based upon differentprespecified paytables. Optionally, the first poker wager and secondpoker wager have a predetermined ratio relationship, r, such that thesecond poker wager is at least r times the first poker wager.

In one optional embodiment, the first poker wager may be rewarded atodds greater than 1:1, and the second poker wager may be rewarded atodds equal to 1:1 for final player hands above a predetermined rank thatoutrank a final dealer hand. In such an optional embodiment, the firstpoker wager may be rewarded at odds greater than 1:1, and the secondpoker wager may be rewarded at odds less then 1:1, for final playerhands below a predetermined rank that outrank a final dealer hand. Forexample, a game in which N=4, the player may be rewarded on the firstpoker wager 176 according to Table 1a when the final player hand, withthe holding listed, outranks the final dealer hand, and on the secondpoker wager according to Table 1b when the final player hand, with theholding listed outranks the final dealer hand: TABLE 1a Award on WinningPlayer Hand first poker wager Straight Flush 4:1 3 of a Kind 2:1Straight or below 1:1

TABLE 1b Award on second Winning Player Hand poker wager Straight Flush1:1 3 of a Kind 1:1 Straight or below Push (or 1:2 in an alternateembodiment)

Where N=5 the game could be conducted in substantially the same way. Forexample, in an optional embodiment, the player may be paid based uponthe player final hand according to Tables 2a and 2b. TABLE 2a Award onWinning Player Hand first poker wager 4 of a Kind 5:1 Straight Flush 2:13 of a Kind or below 1:1

TABLE 2b Winning Player Hand Award 4 of a Kind 1:1 Straight Flush 1:1 3of a Kind or below Push (or 1:2 in an alternate embodiment)

If the player final hand is outranked by the final dealer hand, theplayer loses the Poker wager. In an embodiment in which the Poker wageris allocated between a first poker wager and second poker wager, theplayer loses both the first poker wager and second poker wager.

However, in certain optional embodiments, a consolation may be offeredsuch that if the final player hand is below a prespecified minimum rank,the player is rewarded even if the final dealer hand outranks the finalplayer hand.

For example, if the player final hand has a ranking above theprespecified minimum rank and the dealer final hand has a higher rankingthan the player final hand, the player loses the entire Poker wager. Forexample, in one optional embodiment, the minimum rank is 8-5-x. In suchan optional embodiment, a player with a player final hand higher than8-5-x but lower than the dealer final hand loses his or her entire Pokerwager. However, in such an optional embodiment, if the player final handis below a prespecified minimum rank and the dealer final hand outranksthe player final hand, the Poker wager (or a portion thereof, such asthe first poker wager and/or second poker wager, in an embodiment wherethe Poker wager is allocated) is rewarded according to prespecifiedpaytables. For example, in one optional embodiment, where the playerfinal hand is less than 8-5-x, and the dealer final hand outranks theplayer final hand, the result is a “push” and the Poker wager (or thefirst poker wager and/or the second poker wager components thereof) arereturned to the player.

In a further optional embodiment, if the player final hand has a rankingof least the prespecified minimum rank and the dealer final hand isequal to the player final hand, the hand results in a “push” and theentire Poker wager is returned to the player. As noted, in one optionalembodiment, the minimum rank is 8-5-x. Thus, in such an optionalembodiment, a player final hand equaling a dealer final hand higher than8-5-x would result in a push and a return of the entire Poker wager.

In yet another optional embodiment, if the poker hand formed by theplayer's initial cards has a certain ranking prior to replacing a card,and the replacement results in a lower ranking, the player's Poker wager(or the first poker wager and/or the second poker wager componentsthereof) may be returned. In a further optional embodiment, the playerin such a situation, the player may be rewarded on at least a portion ofthe Poker wager, for example the first poker wager, second poker wager,or both.

Dealer Hand Side Wager

Before any cards are dealt, each participating player has the option toplace a dealer hand wager on the rank of the final dealer hand at adealer hand wager area. In the optional embodiment illustrated, thedealer hand wager is referred to as a “Gotcha” wager. In the optionalembodiment illustrated, where N=4 (three card Poker hands) the playerwins the dealer hand wager where the dealer final hand is King-high orless, or where N=5 (four card Poker hands) the player wins the dealerhand wager where the dealer final hand is Queen-high or less.Optionally, where the player has placed the dealer hand wager, theplayer wins and is issued an award based upon the dealer hand wageraccording to a dealer hand paytable as illustrated in Table 3 below.TABLE 3 (where N = 4) Pay on dealer Dealer Hand hand wager 6-High 107-High 6 8-High 5 9-High 4 10-High 3 J-High 2 Q- or K-High 1 Dealer upcard = Ace Push

Optionally, the player may increase the dealer hand wager after seeingthe dealer's face-up card. To double the dealer hand wager, the playerplaces a bet increment by the dealer hand wager. In the optionembodiment, the dealer hand wager may be doubled. After all players havemade their dealer hand wager decisions, the dealer exposes thepreviously unexposed dealer cards. If the dealer final hand is greaterthan the prespecified minimum rank, then the player loses the dealerhand wager; otherwise the player is paid according to the dealer handpaytable. For example, and with reference to Table 3, suppose the playerbets $5 and then matches his dealer hand wager upon seeing a weak dealerup card of five. If the final dealer hand turns out to be 9-6-5, theplayer will be paid ($5+$5)×4=$40.

Optionally, if the dealer's face-up card is an ace, then the dealer handwager is a push with no money changing hands.

Optionally, where N=5 (four card Poker hands) the dealer hand wager ispaid according to Table 4: TABLE 4 (where N = 5) Pay on dealer DealerHand hand wager 7-High 40 8-High 25 9-High 10 10-High 6 J-High 4 Q-High2

For example, suppose the player bets $5 and then matches his dealer handwager upon seeing a weak dealer up card 124 of five. If the dealer handturns out to be 9-6-5-4, the player will be paid ($5+$5)×10=$100.

Player Hand Bonus Wager

Optionally, a player hand wager may be offered that will be rewardedwhere the player hand is one of a prespecified schedule of winninghands. To participate in the player hand wager, the player places aplayer hand wager before the hand is dealt. The player hand wager willbe resolved according to a prespecified player hand paytable.

Optionally, where N=4 (three card Poker hands) the player hand wager isrewarded for player hands having at least a rank of a pair of Jacks, asindicated by the following optional player hand paytable: TABLE 5 (whereN = 4) Pay on player Final player Hand hand wager Pair of Jacks orBetter 1 Flush 1 Straight 3 3 of a Kind 11 Straight Flush 12 AKQ Suited50

Optionally, where N=5 (four card Poker hands) the player hand wager isrewarded for player hands having at least a rank of a pair of Kings, asindicated by the following optional player hand paytable: TABLE 6 (whereN = 5) Pay on dealer Final player Hand hand wager Pair of Kings orBetter 1 Two Pair 2 Straight 3 Flush 4 3 of a Kind 5 Straight Flush 10 4of a Kind 15 AKQJ Suited 50

Optionally, a jackpot may be offered, paying considerably higher oddsfor hands based upon the combination of the player hand and theinitially exposed dealer card. For example, in an optional embodiment, apayout of 5000:1 on the player hand wager may be offered for hands wherethe dealer up card is the Ace of Spades, and the player initial handcontains three additional Aces.

The game may be played with all, some, or none of the optional sidewagers as described above.

While certain embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed it is to be understood that the present invention is subjectto many modifications and changes without departing from the spirit andscope of the claims presented herein.

1. A method of conducting a card game between a dealer and at least oneplayer using a deck of cards comprising the steps of: each player makinga Poker wager; dealing a dealer hand of N cards to said dealer from saiddeck of cards, where N≧4, at least one of said cards of said dealer handbeing dealt exposed; dealing an initial player hand of N−1 cards to saidplayer from said deck of cards; each player examining said initialplayer hand and opting to form a final player hand by either standing onsaid initial player hand as said final player hand or discarding andreplacing at least one card of said initial player hand to form saidfinal player hand, said replacement received from said deck of cards;said dealer exposing all of said dealer's cards and forming from said Ncards the highest ranking hand of N−1 cards, said N cards beingdesignated as final dealer hand; and resolving said Poker wager, saidresolution comprising: if said final player hand outranks said finaldealer hand, issuing an award to the player based upon said Poker wagerand at least one prespecified Poker wager paytable of final player handsand associated awards, or else if said final dealer hand outranks saidfinal player hand, said player forfeiting said Poker wager, or else ifsaid final dealer hand has a rank equal to that of said final playerhand, said player retaining said Poker wager.
 2. The method of claim 1wherein said step of resolving said Poker wager further comprises ifsaid final dealer hand has a ranking below a prespecified minimum rank,automatically paying said player an award of at least even money basedupon said Poker wager.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step ofresolving said Poker wager further comprises if said final player handhas a ranking below a prespecified minimum rank, said player receivingat least a return of said Poker wager.
 4. The method of claim 1 whereinat least one card, but fewer than N cards, of said dealer hand is dealtexposed and the remaining cards of said dealer hand are not dealtexposed, further comprising: defining a dealer hand paytable of finaldealer hands and associated awards; at least one player opting to placea dealer hand wager prior to dealing said initial player hand and saiddealer's hand; said player having the option of increasing said dealerhand wager after viewing said player's initial hand and after viewingsaid at least one card of said dealer's hand that was dealt exposed butbefore the remaining cards of said dealer hand are exposed; exposing theremaining cards of said dealer hand after said player opts whether toincrease said dealer hand wager; and resolving said dealer hand wageraccording to said final dealer hand, said dealer hand wager, and saiddealer hand paytable.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the player mayincrease said dealer hand wager by matching said initial dealer handwager.
 6. The method of claim 4 wherein said player is rewarded on saiddealer hand wager if said final dealer hand is below a prespecifiedrank.
 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: defining a playerhand paytable of player hands and associated awards; at least one playeropting to place a player hand wager prior to dealing said initial playerhand; and rewarding said player according to said player hand, saidplayer hand wager, and said player hand paytable.
 8. The method of claim7 further comprising awarding a jackpot award based upon said playerhand wager and said player hand in combination with said cards of saiddealer hand that are dealt exposed.
 9. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising: allocating at least a portion of said Poker wager into atleast a first poker wager and a second poker wager; defining at leastone first poker wager paytable of at least one final player hand and anassociated award on said first poker wager, wherein said awards are paidat odds greater than or equal to even money; defining at least onesecond poker wager paytable of at least one final player hand and anassociated award on said second poker wager, wherein said awards arepaid at odds less than or equal to even money; if said final player handoutranks said final dealer hand and said final player hand has a rankingabove a prespecified minimum rank, issuing an award to the player basedupon said first poker wager and at least one first poker wager paytableand issuing an award to the player based upon said second poker wagerand at least one second poker wager paytable, wherein said award on saidsecond poker wager is equal to even money; if said final player handoutranks said final dealer hand and said final player hand has a rankingbelow a prespecified minimum rank, issuing an award to the player basedupon said first poker wager and at least one first poker wager paytableand issuing an award to the player based upon said second poker wagerand at least one second poker wager paytable, wherein said award on saidsecond poker wager is less than even money; and if said final dealerhand outranks said final player hand, said player forfeiting said firstpoker wager and said second poker wager.
 10. The method of claim 9further comprising defining a ratio r, such that said Poker wager isallocated with said second poker wager at least r times said first pokerwager.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of replacing of saidat least one card includes dealing of at least one community card sharedamong said players.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step ofreplacing of said at least one card further comprises: dealing aplurality of sets of community cards each containing a quantity of cardsgreater than or equal to the quantity of cards to be replaced; andutilizing at least one of said cards from only one of said sets ofcommunity cards to generate said final player hand.
 13. The method ofclaim 12 wherein said player selects the set of community cards used togenerate said final player hand.
 14. A method of conducting a card gamebetween a dealer and at least one player using at least a deck of cardscomprising the steps of: each player making a Poker wager; dealing adealer hand of N cards to said dealer from said deck of cards, whereN≧4, at least one of said cards of said dealer hand being dealt exposed;dealing an initial player hand of N−1 cards to said player from saiddeck of cards; each player examining said initial player hand and optingto form a final player hand by either standing on said initial playerhand as said final player hand or discarding and replacing at least onecard of said initial player hand to form said final player hand, saidreplacement received from said deck of cards; said dealer exposing allof said dealer's cards and forming from said N cards the highest rankinghand of N−1 cards, said N cards being designated as final dealer hand;and resolving said Poker wager, said resolution comprising: if saidfinal player hand outranks said final dealer hand, issuing an award tothe player based upon said Poker wager and at least one prespecifiedPoker wager paytable of final player hands and associated awards, orelse if said final player hand has a ranking below a prespecifiedminimum rank, at least returning said Poker wager, or else if said finalplayer hand has a ranking above said prespecified minimum rank and saidfinal dealer hand outranks said final player hand, said playerforfeiting said Poker wager, or else if said final player hand has aranking above said prespecified minimum rank and said final dealer handhas a rank equal to that of said final player hand, said playerretaining said Poker wager.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein saidplayer may replace only one of said cards constituting said player'sinitial hand.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one card, butfewer than N cards, of said dealer hand is dealt exposed and theremaining cards of said dealer hand are not dealt exposed, furthercomprising: defining a dealer hand paytable of final dealer hands andassociated awards; at least one player opting to place an initial dealerhand wager prior to dealing said initial player hand and said dealer'shand; said player having the option of increasing said dealer hand wagerafter viewing said player's initial hand and after viewing said at leastone card of said dealer's hand that was dealt exposed but before theremaining cards of said dealer hand are exposed; exposing the remainingcards of said dealer hand after said player opts whether to increasesaid dealer hand wager; and resolving said dealer hand wager accordingto said final dealer hand, said dealer hand wager, and said dealer handpaytable.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the player may increasesaid dealer hand wager by matching said initial dealer hand wager. 18.The method of claim 16 wherein said player is rewarded on said dealerhand wager if said final dealer hand is below a prespecified rank. 19.The method of claim 16 wherein only one card of said dealer hand isdealt exposed, said dealer hand wager resolved as a push if the exposedcard dealt to said dealer hand after said player places said dealer handwager is an Ace.
 20. The method of claim 14 further comprising: defininga player hand paytable of player hands and associated awards; at leastone player opting to place a player hand wager prior to dealing saidinitial player hand; and rewarding said player according to said playerhand, said player hand wager, and said player hand paytable.
 21. Themethod of claim 20 further comprising awarding a jackpot award basedupon said player hand wager and said player hand in combination withsaid cards of said dealer hand that are dealt exposed.
 22. The method ofclaim 20 further comprising paying a jackpot award on said player handwager at odds of 5000:1 where said dealer hand includes an exposed cardof the Ace of Spades and said player hand includes the Ace of Clubs, theAce of Diamonds, and the Ace of Hearts.
 23. A method of conducting acard game between a dealer and at least one player using at least a deckof cards comprising the steps of: each player making a Poker wager,wherein at least a portion of said Poker wager is allocated to a firstpoker wager and at least a portion of said Poker wager is allocated to asecond poker wager; defining a first poker wager paytable of at leastone final player hand and an associated award on said first poker wager,wherein said awards are greater than or equal to even money; defining asecond poker wager paytable of at least one final player hands and anassociated award on said second poker wager, wherein said awards areless than or equal to even money; dealing a dealer hand of N cards tosaid dealer from said deck of cards, where N≧4, at least one of saidcards of said dealer hand being dealt exposed; dealing an initial playerhand of N−1 cards to said player from said deck of cards; each playerexamining said initial player hand and opting to form a final playerhand by either standing on said initial player hand as said final playerhand or discarding and replacing at least one card of said initialplayer hand to form said final player hand, said replacement receivedfrom said deck of cards; said dealer exposing all of said dealer's cardsand forming from said N cards the highest ranking hand of N−1 cards,said N cards being designated as final dealer hand; and resolving saidPoker wager, said resolution comprising: if said final player handoutranks said final dealer hand and said final player hand has a rankingabove a prespecified minimum rank, issuing an award to the player basedupon said first poker wager and said first poker wager paytable andissuing an award to the player based upon said second poker wager andsaid second poker wager paytable, wherein said award on said secondpoker wager is equal to even money; if said final player hand outrankssaid final dealer hand and said final player hand has a ranking below aprespecified minimum rank, issuing an award to the player based uponsaid first poker wager and said first poker wager paytable and issuingan award to the player based upon said second poker wager and saidsecond poker wager paytable, wherein said award on said second pokerwager is less than even money; and if said final dealer hand outrankssaid final player hand, said player forfeiting said first poker wagerand said second poker wager.
 24. The method of claim 23 furthercomprising defining a ratio r, such that said Poker wager is allocatedwith said second poker wager at least r times said first poker wager.25. The method of claim 23 wherein said step of replacing of said atleast one card includes dealing of at least one community card sharedamong said players.
 26. The method of claim 25 wherein said step ofreplacing of said at least one card further comprises: dealing aplurality of sets of community cards each containing a quantity of cardsgreater than or equal to the quantity of cards to be replaced; andutilizing at least one of said cards from only one of said sets ofcommunity cards to generate said final player hand.
 27. The method ofclaim 26 wherein said player selects only one set of community cards andselects only one card from the selected set to generate said finalplayer hand.